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1- There are things that CANNOT be changed in the future, or predetermined events, as they are called. Why didn't Sneering Bastard destroy the memory chip? He could have easily thrown it into the river (they were at a footbridge after all) and prevented Kyon from getting it, but he instead chose to give it to Kyon, stating that it was a predetermined event, and no matter what he did, the results would be the same - the recipient would receive the chip anyway. That's why he chooses to first taunt Kyon being handing him the said chip. Of course, you might think that he did that because he needed time travel to be there in the first place, but ...

2- There are things that CAN be changed in the future. One example would be the possibility of time travel. The rival faction tried to run down the little kid just to prevent him from formulating the basic principles of time travel. Now if time travel was already a predetermined event, why did Asahina-san (Big) go so far as to instruct Mikuru to bring Kyon to the area where the boy was about to be run down? But more importantly, what was the purpose of trying to run him down? To prevent time travel? Sneering Bastard could have easily gotten rid of the chip to accomplish that. My idea is that there are events that can and cannot be changed. Kyon (or the mysterious recipient) getting the chip is something that cannot be changed, while the boy's fate, however, is something that can be changed.

3- All three rival factions have been introduced. I speculated earlier on that we would be having a sort of "Anti-SOS" and now they are fully assembled. All that's left is to see a final showdown between them ;P

4- I hope the next book will be a long story, and that it will feature Koizumi. After reading volume 7, I'm kinda interested to know more about him, and his 'Organization'.

Spoiler for Lots of details from Vol 7 and MoAM, and a possible "Eureka!" moment:

Regarding #2, I've got my own little theory about that. I think that, to a certain degree, all events that have future repercussions are predetermined events. However, there is free will for those living among those events. What this means is that while Sneering Bastard (SB) and Mikuru can't directly alter the outcomes of events that affect their personal futures (due to the obvious paradoxes that would result), Kyon, the Evil Organization (EO). and anyone else native to that timeline (even the data entities) can do what they wish. Where the area gets a bit gray is that passage of certain information from the future is perfectly allowed (as it could conceivably come from anywhere).

While he was involved with them by the end of Vol 7, there is no evidence that SB was with the EO during the events of Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru; however, the EO members were obviously aware of who exactly it was they were trying to run over. An obvious source of that information was SB, whether he actually told them to run Bespectaled Boy (BB) over or not. However, SB doesn't attempt to do anything regarding the memory chip beyond give Kyon a hard time.

Notice how all the events Mikuru (big) had Kyon do throughout Vol 7 were things he either did or could have done (as he himself stated later) entirely on his own? "Michiru's" involvement was purely so she would be around him later to be kidnapped—again, by the EO, residents of the current time (Kyon never sees SB until after the van stops, meaning SB didn't personally grab "Michiru," and could conceivably have not even been in the van at the time)—and to give him the information that he sent her back in time and would need to send her forward. Note that they even make a big deal about how Kyon has to tell Mikuru exactly when to travel to.

Mikuru (small) actually explains a bit of this to him in MoAM (that he was the one who had to save BB), and Mikuru (big) fills in a lot of the gaps at the end of Vol 7 (regarding the "Good" Time Travelers' job of ensuring things happen the way they are "predetermined" to).

This puts an interesting spin on the "Classified Information" that Mikuru (both versions) can't tell Kyon about. The reason why they can give him only certain information is because he is able to act on it, possibly destroying their future ("...If you chose the other side, then it......um......it wouldn't be good for our future..."), and they can't do a damn thing to correct it...

Spoiler for Lots of details from Vol 7 and MoAM, and a possible "Eureka!" moment:

Regarding #2, I've got my own little theory about that. I think that, to a certain degree, all events that have future repercussions are predetermined events. However, there is free will for those living among those events. What this means is that while Sneering Bastard (SB) and Mikuru can't directly alter the outcomes of events that affect their personal futures (due to the obvious paradoxes that would result), Kyon, the Evil Organization (EO). and anyone else native to that timeline (even the data entities) can do what they wish. Where the area gets a bit gray is that passage of certain information from the future is perfectly allowed (as it could conceivably come from anywhere).

While he was involved with them by the end of Vol 7, there is no evidence that SB was with the EO during the events of Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru; however, the EO members were obviously aware of who exactly it was they were trying to run over. An obvious source of that information was SB, whether he actually told them to run Bespectaled Boy (BB) over or not. However, SB doesn't attempt to do anything regarding the memory chip beyond give Kyon a hard time.

Notice how all the events Mikuru (big) had Kyon do throughout Vol 7 were things he either did or could have done (as he himself stated later) entirely on his own? "Michiru's" involvement was purely so she would be around him later to be kidnapped—again, by the EO, residents of the current time (Kyon never sees SB until after the van stops, meaning SB didn't personally grab "Michiru," and could conceivably have not even been in the van at the time)—and to give him the information that he sent her back in time and would need to send her forward. Note that they even make a big deal about how Kyon has to tell Mikuru exactly when to travel to.

Mikuru (small) actually explains a bit of this to him in MoAM (that he was the one who had to save BB), and Mikuru (big) fills in a lot of the gaps at the end of Vol 7 (regarding the "Good" Time Travelers' job of ensuring things happen the way they are "predetermined" to).

This puts an interesting spin on the "Classified Information" that Mikuru (both versions) can't tell Kyon about. The reason why they can give him only certain information is because he is able to act on it, possibly destroying their future ("...If you chose the other side, then it......um......it wouldn't be good for our future..."), and they can't do a damn thing to correct it...

Spoiler for More thoughts:

I agree to a certain extent, but it is still puzzling to me as to why didn't SB tell the EO to dispose of the chip. One might think for a moment that SB needed to preserve the chip in order for time travel to be possible (or he wouldn't have been there anyway) but if so why did the EO try to run down BB? It's a question I'd like to see answered in one of the future volumes.

I agree to a certain extent, but it is still puzzling to me as to why didn't SB tell the EO to dispose of the chip. One might think for a moment that SB needed to preserve the chip in order for time travel to be possible (or he wouldn't have been there anyway) but if so why did the EO try to run down BB? It's a question I'd like to see answered in one of the future volumes.

Spoiler:

Perhaps they were not trying to change their past, but to force Mikuru's group to use Kyon to insure the future, and have him learn more in the process. They all seemed more interested in Kyon than Mikuru. Kyon did not believe the SB, but if he learns it on his own then he will believe it. Maybe there is some major decision that he will have to make in the future and they are trying to set it up so he will decide their way.

1- There are things that CANNOT be changed in the future, or predetermined events, as they are called. Why didn't Sneering Bastard destroy the memory chip? He could have easily thrown it into the river (they were at a footbridge after all) and prevented Kyon from getting it, but he instead chose to give it to Kyon, stating that it was a predetermined event, and no matter what he did, the results would be the same - the recipient would receive the chip anyway. That's why he chooses to first taunt Kyon being handing him the said chip. Of course, you might think that he did that because he needed time travel to be there in the first place, but ...

2- There are things that CAN be changed in the future. One example would be the possibility of time travel. The rival faction tried to run down the little kid just to prevent him from formulating the basic principles of time travel. Now if time travel was already a predetermined event, why did Asahina-san (Big) go so far as to instruct Mikuru to bring Kyon to the area where the boy was about to be run down? But more importantly, what was the purpose of trying to run him down? To prevent time travel? Sneering Bastard could have easily gotten rid of the chip to accomplish that. My idea is that there are events that can and cannot be changed. Kyon (or the mysterious recipient) getting the chip is something that cannot be changed, while the boy's fate, however, is something that can be changed.

3- All three rival factions have been introduced. I speculated earlier on that we would be having a sort of "Anti-SOS" and now they are fully assembled. All that's left is to see a final showdown between them ;P

4- I hope the next book will be a long story, and that it will feature Koizumi. After reading volume 7, I'm kinda interested to know more about him, and his 'Organization'.

Spoiler:

I'm speculating wildly here, but there could be the possibility that the existence of time travel as a whole depended on that chip arriving to its destination, but time travel as Mikuru's faction wants it depends on that boy. Or some variations on that theme; maybe the chip reaching its owner is beneficial to both Mikuru's faction and the Sneering Bastard's faction (whether or not the Sneering Bastard is happy about it), but the survival of the boy would put Mikuru's faction in power and not the Sneering Bastard's.

What I find interesting is the interactions between the different factions (aliens, ESPers, time-travellers), especially when it comes to stuff like finding out what the chip was for in the first place. Mikuru either doesn't know (low-ranking and all) or cannot tell (mental block, classified information), but all Kyon needed to do was ask Yuki, who used her Integrated Data Entity powers to figure out in a flash. So a (physically and psychically) normal member of this time plane can easily circumvent the classified information barrier by consulting another faction.

Unless it didn't really matter in the end either way whether Kyon found out. Maybe the time travellers weighed the odds and decided that Kyon was discreet enough (after all, he didn't ask Yuki for Mikuru's real age), or that his chances of doing something about this information was an acceptable risk.

Regarding point number 3, this might even imply an Anti-Haruhi. Which will be a scary thought.

I agree to a certain extent, but it is still puzzling to me as to why didn't SB tell the EO to dispose of the chip. One might think for a moment that SB needed to preserve the chip in order for time travel to be possible (or he wouldn't have been there anyway) but if so why did the EO try to run down BB? It's a question I'd like to see answered in one of the future volumes.

Spoiler:

Perhaps they were not trying to change their past, but to force Mikuru's group to use Kyon to insure the future, and have him learn more in the process. They all seemed more interested in Kyon than Mikuru. Kyon did not believe the SB, but if he learns it on his own then he will believe it. Maybe there is some major decision that he will have to make in the future and they are trying to set it up so he will decide their way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkellis

Spoiler:

I'm speculating wildly here, but there could be the possibility that the existence of time travel as a whole depended on that chip arriving to its destination, but time travel as Mikuru's faction wants it depends on that boy. Or some variations on that theme; maybe the chip reaching its owner is beneficial to both Mikuru's faction and the Sneering Bastard's faction (whether or not the Sneering Bastard is happy about it), but the survival of the boy would put Mikuru's faction in power and not the Sneering Bastard's.

What I find interesting is the interactions between the different factions (aliens, ESPers, time-travellers), especially when it comes to stuff like finding out what the chip was for in the first place. Mikuru either doesn't know (low-ranking and all) or cannot tell (mental block, classified information), but all Kyon needed to do was ask Yuki, who used her Integrated Data Entity powers to figure out in a flash. So a (physically and psychically) normal member of this time plane can easily circumvent the classified information barrier by consulting another faction.

Unless it didn't really matter in the end either way whether Kyon found out. Maybe the time travellers weighed the odds and decided that Kyon was discreet enough (after all, he didn't ask Yuki for Mikuru's real age), or that his chances of doing something about this information was an acceptable risk.

Regarding point number 3, this might even imply an Anti-Haruhi. Which will be a scary thought.

Spoiler for more Vol 7 stuff:

Wow, you know, taking that all together, it makes a lot of sense, especially added together with Mikuru's (big) line from the end of Vol 7 ("...If you chose the other side, then it......um......it wouldn't be good for our future...").

Dammit, Vol 9 better be another arc volume, and answer some of these questions. After Vol 7, I don't think I could wait until a prospective Vol 10 to get my meta-story fix...

Heh, this topic is quickly becoming useless to those who haven't read the translations...

Spoiler for regarding something from Vol 7:

And does anyone else get the impression that Kyon telling Tsuruya-san about the "future alien past civilization artifact" and her digging it up might not have been in Mikuru's faction's plans? Or maybe that was exactly the plan?

Wow, you know, taking that all together, it makes a lot of sense, especially added together with Mikuru's (big) line from the end of Vol 7 ("...If you chose the other side, then it......um......it wouldn't be good for our future...").

Spoiler for a thought:

I think that Kyon will be the focus of both sides' "pitches" because whichever side wins, gets Haruhi.

Aren't you guys missing something here? Mikuru (big) already said Sneering Bastard wouldn't dare destroy the chip, as his very own existence depended on it as well. Meaning Mikuru and SB's timeline still hasn't diverged yet, the chip is still part of their common history.

Using the Nazi example I used previously, though the time traveller from the world where the Nazis won WWII would want to ensure Hitler wins, he wouldn't be stupid to go back earlier in time and kill Hitler before he came to power.

I just realized: if the Anti-SOS is going to be a mirror-image of the real SOS, they're not only going to need Anti-Haruhi, but also Anti-Kyon.

Imagine that for a moment.

But then I don't think it's a true mirror image anyway. I'm not sure if I'm forgetting something, but other than the members of the SOS Brigade, who are together only by Act of Haruhi, I don't think we've seen any indications of the three factions (aliens, ESPers, time travellers) working together, or even being civil enough to give the time of day to each other.

Spoiler for Editor in Chief:

Emiri doesn't quite count, I think. I don't think she's actually working with the Organization in this particular scheme, as much as just tolerating them. Of course, I could be wrong.

This seems to be a bit of a change from the Other Side, who appear to want to work together for whatever reason. It's also entirely possible that they're acting of their own accord, without active direct orders from their superiors. Then again, the counterpart to Yuki's boss seems to prefer eschewing interfaces completely.

It's interesting that (as far as I remember) two of the three of the faction representatives in the SOS Brigade have told Kyon that if they were to be given orders that would go against the SOS Brigade, they might well revolt, and stay on the side of the SOS Brigade against their faction. The one who hasn't, in my recollection (again, I could just have missed it), is Mikuru the time-traveller.

There's been speculation among some of us that the real power is Kyon and Haruhi is his handmaiden. Koizumi's remark that the eye of the hurricane is always still but destruction always surround it tells me the "Organization" believes that there is more to Kyon than meets the eye. Probably the SB has a serious case of envy for what Kyon will be? Maybe he thinks it's unfair that Kyon will have it all in the future?

The rage that Kyon had toward Asahina (Big) is understandable in the context that he cannot bear to see her treat her past self in this manner..even if it turned out for the best.

Now there was a bit of foreshadowing there when Kyon suggested that the SOS brigade take a trip to Asahina's (small) home timeline. And Asahina (Big)'s intimation about a possible divergence in the future would involve Kyon. Consider that the first time Asahina (Big) first showed up, he warned Kyon not to get too close to her. Would it be that Kyon will have to make a choice between Asahina and Mikuru?

I know it’s not worth much, but just want to add my thanks for all the hard work from the translating team! You guys should add a ‘paypal donate’ button to the site (or better yet, a ‘I’ll give you $10 when you finish translating chapter x’ button). Just so those of us desperate for more story can add a little more… ‘incentive’.

Also have to say, Tanigawa Nagaru is a freaking genius. Just when you think he’s making it up as he goes along, you find some passage that just ties it all together. Each story by itself is great. But as each arc unfolds it keeps building on past events, and gets better and better. I constantly laugh out loud while reading, even though I’m sure a lot of the subtle humor gets lost in translation between Japanese - Chinese - English (no knock on the translating team. When I was watching a Haruhi video with my brother, he kept laughing at the subtle language jokes in the Japanese narrative, that didn’t carry over into the English subtitles). Can’t wait for volume 9.

I agree with the praise for Tanigawa Nagaru. I'm amazed with how he can interweave all these seemingly disjunct stories into something brilliantly coherent. KyoAni did a good job simulating this effect with the episode shuffle.

KyoAni did a good job simulating this effect with the episode shuffle.

Even more impressive to me, is that they 'tweaked' the original material to make it even better. For example, in the novel, Kyon is a willing participant in the computer stealing incident, as Haruhi tells him what's going to happen to Mikuru ahead of time (kind of out of character). Also in lone island syndrome (novel), Itsuki basically explains the whole mystery right at the beginning, instead of Haruhi & Kyon figuring it out. KyoAni is really at the top of their game these days. Kind of spoils me for other anime.

There's been speculation among some of us that the real power is Kyon and Haruhi is his handmaiden. Koizumi's remark that the eye of the hurricane is always still but destruction always surround it tells me the "Organization" believes that there is more to Kyon than meets the eye. Probably the SB has a serious case of envy for what Kyon will be? Maybe he thinks it's unfair that Kyon will have it all in the future?

Spoiler:

Now, I obviously know nothing more than the next person, and this is just speculation. Still, I believe that in the end, Kyon has no actual special powers, but he is still the most important member of the SOS Brigade, more so than Haruhi.

This is because Kyon can control Haruhi. More than that, every other member of the SOS Brigade has confided in him, because he is normal. In this, despite Kyon not having reality-warping powers, he still has power of another kind: the power to make choices to determine how the other members of the SOS Brigade will act.

I think that, more than anything, would make the Sneering Bastard jealous of Kyon. Kyon has, at his fingertips, the combined resources of a Humanoid Interface, an ESPer and his Organization, and instant (or even faster) approval of use of a time-travel device by proxy. If all else fails, he can even easily provoke a response that might end the world simply by saying "I am John Smith".

And what is he? A normal human being. Not an alien, ESPer, or time-traveller, but simply someone who got caught up in all this.

So yeah, I can believe that Kyon is the real power behind the SOS Brigade, and he got there by having no powers at all.

On a side note, Koizumi's assertion in the anime about Kyon being a normal person might also well fall foul of his philosophizing of Haruhi's powers and creation of the world. Basically, he says that there's no proof (by definition) that the world was not created three years ago by Haruhi, because all the evidence can be altered or fabricated.

Similarly, there's no real proof that Kyon is a normal person, if he does have special powers, but believes himself to be normal.

Now, I obviously know nothing more than the next person, and this is just speculation. Still, I believe that in the end, Kyon has no actual special powers, but he is still the most important member of the SOS Brigade, more so than Haruhi.

This is because Kyon can control Haruhi. More than that, every other member of the SOS Brigade has confided in him, because he is normal. In this, despite Kyon not having reality-warping powers, he still has power of another kind: the power to make choices to determine how the other members of the SOS Brigade will act.

I think that, more than anything, would make the Sneering Bastard jealous of Kyon. Kyon has, at his fingertips, the combined resources of a Humanoid Interface, an ESPer and his Organization, and instant (or even faster) approval of use of a time-travel device by proxy. If all else fails, he can even easily provoke a response that might end the world simply by saying "I am John Smith".

And what is he? A normal human being. Not an alien, ESPer, or time-traveller, but simply someone who got caught up in all this.

So yeah, I can believe that Kyon is the real power behind the SOS Brigade, and he got there by having no powers at all.

On a side note, Koizumi's assertion in the anime about Kyon being a normal person might also well fall foul of his philosophizing of Haruhi's powers and creation of the world. Basically, he says that there's no proof (by definition) that the world was not created three years ago by Haruhi, because all the evidence can be altered or fabricated.

Similarly, there's no real proof that Kyon is a normal person, if he does have special powers, but believes himself to be normal.

Spoiler:

Some poor choice of words on your part, but I agree with you overall.

1. Kyon does not control Haruhi. One might as well control a supernova. He influences her. If the other side really wants to provoke a response from Haruhi...just try and kill Kyon in front of her.

2. Kyon is a normal person right now (so it appears). but who is to say what he really is or what he will be in the future. The leader of the "other side" was impressed that she got to meet Kyon. You're not normally impressed with just a "normal" guy. And the funny thing some of the great heroes (real and anime) do consider themselves to be just plain folk.

I agree Kyon is the nexus for all the members of the SOS brigade. The nature of Kyon is the one thing that's really open to speculation right now. A nomal guy with a "latent" power? Or is he Haruhi's creator? (which I believe he really is)

I know it’s not worth much, but just want to add my thanks for all the hard work from the translating team! You guys should add a ‘paypal donate’ button to the site (or better yet, a ‘I’ll give you $10 when you finish translating chapter x’ button). Just so those of us desperate for more story can add a little more… ‘incentive’.

Also have to say, Tanigawa Nagaru is a freaking genius. Just when you think he’s making it up as he goes along, you find some passage that just ties it all together. Each story by itself is great. But as each arc unfolds it keeps building on past events, and gets better and better. I constantly laugh out loud while reading, even though I’m sure a lot of the subtle humor gets lost in translation between Japanese - Chinese - English (no knock on the translating team. When I was watching a Haruhi video with my brother, he kept laughing at the subtle language jokes in the Japanese narrative, that didn’t carry over into the English subtitles). Can’t wait for volume 9.

Thanks a lot, but money + translation usually = copyright infringement, which tends to lead to lawsuits

Besides, most of us are just doing this in our free time to show our love for Haruhi

Now, I obviously know nothing more than the next person, and this is just speculation. Still, I believe that in the end, Kyon has no actual special powers, but he is still the most important member of the SOS Brigade, more so than Haruhi.

This is because Kyon can control Haruhi. More than that, every other member of the SOS Brigade has confided in him, because he is normal. In this, despite Kyon not having reality-warping powers, he still has power of another kind: the power to make choices to determine how the other members of the SOS Brigade will act.

I think that, more than anything, would make the Sneering Bastard jealous of Kyon. Kyon has, at his fingertips, the combined resources of a Humanoid Interface, an ESPer and his Organization, and instant (or even faster) approval of use of a time-travel device by proxy. If all else fails, he can even easily provoke a response that might end the world simply by saying "I am John Smith".

And what is he? A normal human being. Not an alien, ESPer, or time-traveller, but simply someone who got caught up in all this.

So yeah, I can believe that Kyon is the real power behind the SOS Brigade, and he got there by having no powers at all.

Spoiler:

Being the Keymaster is starting to weigh on Kyon, me thinks.

I think what really puts the Sneering Bastard's panties in a twist is that Kyon is not taking advantage of all these people for personal gain. SB would in a minute, but can't believe that Kyon hasn't.

1. Kyon does not control Haruhi. One might as well control a supernova. He influences her. If the other side really wants to provoke a response from Haruhi...just try and kill Kyon in front of her.

2. Kyon is a normal person right now (so it appears). but who is to say what he really is or what he will be in the future. The leader of the "other side" was impressed that she got to meet Kyon. You're not normally impressed with just a "normal" guy. And the funny thing some of the great heroes (real and anime) do consider themselves to be just plain folk.

I agree Kyon is the nexus for all the members of the SOS brigade. The nature of Kyon is the one thing that's really open to speculation right now. A nomal guy with a "latent" power? Or is he Haruhi's creator? (which I believe he really is)

Spoiler:

Regarding #2, Not only did the "Evil Organization" leader totally fangirl over Kyon, but when he joked about going to the future with Mikuru whenever the time comes for her to return, the thought of that scared the hell out of her. I don't know if Kyon has any latent powers besides the ability to bend Haruhi "towards" (not "to") his will, which is pretty impressive in its own right, but I definitely get the impression that he is someone very important in the future. On par with Bespectacled Boy, if not even more important. Notice that the "Evil Organization" members have never tried to run Kyon over...

Of course, it may just be that they'd like to get their hands on him as an ally...

Regarding #2, Not only did the "Evil Organization" leader totally fangirl over Kyon, but when he joked about going to the future with Mikuru whenever the time comes for her to return, the thought of that scared the hell out of her. I don't know if Kyon has any latent powers besides the ability to bend Haruhi "towards" (not "to") his will, which is pretty impressive in its own right, but I definitely get the impression that he is someone very important in the future. On par with Bespectacled Boy, if not even more important. Notice that the "Evil Organization" members have never tried to run Kyon over...

Of course, it may just be that they'd like to get their hands on him as an ally...

One thing we all need to realise... There are things time travellers do, and then there are things time travellers don't do. You can believe Kyon to be the real god all you like, even if I think it's a completely groundless idea. What I don't believe is that somehow Kyon need to be the god in order to be important.

Haruhi is in love with Kyon. This we know. The time travellers would also know this.

The time travellers, however, can't want to harm Kyon because they are not here to observe Haruhi. The diety-like Galactic Existences etc can afford to kill Kyon if they want to, because their existence isn't linked to Kyon's survival. But unless Kyon is suppose to be killed in their own time line, the time travellers risk annialating themselves in acting this drastically.

Spoiler:

So far, everything the rival time travellers had done were still pre-ordained. Even the kidnapping plot of Mikuru was suppose to fail. Thus we can't be sure that arranged car accident in "Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru" was ever meant to work. I personally believe the accident wasn't meant to succeed either, but they had to go with the doomed plan because that's what they had to do.

Note that the annoying evil Time-traveller guy repeatedly showed his disdain in having to do things that were meaningless/unsuccessful just because he had to. Yet, even though he keeps complaining, he does them anyway. I believe when he commented on Kyon being controlled by those in the future, he was as much insulting Kyon as being angry at himself. He isn't doing a job he enjoys at all.

That makes a lot of sense, and it would be nice to have a slider at last to complete the collection... But on the other hand, it kind of breaks the "anti-SOS brigade" symmetry we've apparently got going on, with the Galactic Existence (or whatever), the Evil Time Travelers, and the Shadow Organization. But whatever.

Spoiler for Disappearance, Intrigues:

But if his time plane is consistent with the current one, so he's not a slider, he's really just a time-traveller. I'd say that Kyon qualifies as slider because he's experienced closed space, that virtual insect incident's world, Asakura's space, and the rewritten world of the Disappearance--locations with very different existences. But this guy, the Sneering Bastard, has only experienced the future he comes from and Kyon's present which is connected to his future.

Thanks so much to all for discussing this so I can enjoy reading and thinking about the novels even when there's nothing more to read until the next update. I may edit this post with more to say tomorrow actually--there's one or two passages I think are worthy of discussion, in relation to Kyonism or Kyon being the slider.

Edit: Found it. Elaborating on what someone mentioned earlier, this entire passage seems to hint at "Kyonism", and the last few words directly muse upon the idea:

Spoiler for Volume 7 (Intrigues) Chapter 7:

Quote:

"Maybe the one with omnipotent powers isn't Suzumiya-san after all, but rather someone else?"

Koizumi's probably trying to add some sarcasm to his smile, yet all I saw was his usual grin,

"The eye of the storm is very calm, yet it is surrounded by calamity. Maybe there are some that decide to watch from the sidelines and see how all this unfolds. You sure have been kept busy as well, would a scriptwriter play such a tiring character himself?"

And I looked all over for the section relevant to sliders but I couldn't find it--in one of the volumes, Koizumi says he has trouble making friends with sliders, or something very close to that.

We have seen SB's group try to kill someone who was required for her future and Mikuru big used Kyon to save him. What would she do if SB's group tried to save someone who's death was required for her future.